The Gospel of John has often been handed out to new converts to Christianity, or even to nonbelievers, as an evangelizing tool, because it insists so forcefully on Jesus' identity as the divine Son of God and on the need for faith in him. Yet a case can be made that John is really more useful for those who already have some experience of Christian faith and are ready for some advanced reading about Jesus. Either way, there is no denying the central role of this Gospel in shaping both the church's faith and the beliefs of many individual Christians.

In these three sessions, we will examine first the story told by this Gospel, its basic content; then the story behind the story, the author of the Gospel and its location within early Christian history; and finally the story within the story, the meaning that the Gospel writer is conveying. If you haven't read John through from beginning to end recently, you should do that before the first session. As you do so, be sure to take note of the characters, themes (such as eternal life or Jesus' heavenly origin), and symbols (such as light) that crop up repeatedly.